Clay control additive for wellbore fluids

ABSTRACT

A clay stabilizer which is capable of inhibiting swelling in a wide variety of clay types and is also capable of restoring permeability in formations which have previously been damaged by clay swelling. Amine salts of differing molecular weights configurations and ionic strength are combined to provide transport into micropores, mesopores and macropores in the formation and to effect cationic change therein. A poly quaternary amine having a high to very high charge density is added along with lower molecular weight amine salts to substantially permanently exchange cations with the clay in the formation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a regular U.S. patent application claiming priorityof pending U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 60/595,350,filed Jun. 24, 2005, the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems used to stabilize claysand shales containing clay and more particularly, to the stabilizationof clays found in hydrocarbon-bearing shale formations to minimizeswelling and migration of fines found therein and to substantiallyreverse the effects of swelling, if swelling has already occurred.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Subterranean formations have tremendous pressures exerted upon them andit is these pressures that can cause major differences betweenclay/shales and the behaviour of said clay/shales found at differentdepths, where hydrocarbon production typically predominates. The amountof pressure applied to the clay which results in the thickness of clayplatelets is dictated by the amount of overburden that exists above thezone of interest, i.e. the depth of the pay zone in the well.

A single smectite platelet is composed of a central alumina or magnesiumlayer joined to silica layers. The particle is typically about onenanometer in thickness and up to several nanometers in width. Ingeneral, the charge on the molecules that make up the layers of clayplatelets line up in such a way so as to have a face of the plateletnegatively charged and the edges having a slight positive charge. Theoverall charge of a clay platelet however is negative.

Charges on the clay platelets permit interaction with dissolved mineralions in aqueous fluids, both native and non-native to the formation. Thenet negative charge on a platelet is typically balanced mainly by sodiumions, although other inorganic cations may also be present in minoramounts. The cations, or charge-balancing ions, associate with theplatelet faces and are termed “exchangeable” as they can be readilysubstituted with other cations when presented to the clay platelets.Each macroscopic clay particle is comprised of many thousands ofsandwiched clay platelets, each having exchangeable cations and a layerof water therebetween.

When clay and water are mixed, water penetrates between the platelets,forcing them further apart. The cations present at the platelet facesbegin to diffuse away from platelet faces. Further, the amount of watercontained within the platelets is dependant upon the pressure underwhich the clay is located, typically the depth of the clay deposit inthe subterranean formation.

Typically, freshly deposited clay sediments have a relatively high watercontent, solids comprising only about 50% of the total volume. However,much of this fluid fills the pore spaces between the particles and issqueezed out rapidly during the initial stages of burial. Below about500 m, all that remains of the fluid is a few molecular thicknesses ofinterlayer water, bound to the internal clay surfaces and the cationsassociated therewith. The interlayer water is expelled upon deeperburial, generally by a combination of temperature and clay diagenesis.Very little fluid remains in clay sediments below about 10 km.

In a typical petroleum-rich sedimentary basin, compacting stressincreases at a rate of about 1.5×10⁷ Pa (150 bar) per kilometre, whichcorresponds to geostatic pressure generated by the overlying sedimentsand their fluids. In addition, the geothermal temperature gradient istypically about 30° C. per kilometre. These features of buriedformations are generally thought to promote differences between theobserved behaviour of clay in various oil-producing subterraneanformations. Applicant is aware that at least some literature (N. T.Skipper, G. D. Williams, A. V. C. de Siqueira, C. Lobban (UniversityCollege, London) A. K. Soper, R. Done, J. Dreyer, R. Humphries (ISIS))indicates that it has been determined through experimentation that thelayer spacing in vermiculite clays immersed in water is a function ofburial depth. It has been shown that sodium vermiculite collapses from atwo-layer hydrate (14.96 Å) to a one-layer hydrate (12.35 Å) at a depthof about 6 km. The reversible dehydration observed corresponds to a lossof one layer of water molecules from between the clay platelets. Thus,it is extremely important to measure the depths at which water isejected from swelling clays in this way for example, to understand andpredict the primary migration of oil and natural gas therein. Primarymigration is the process whereby hydrocarbons move from the sedimentarysource rocks, in which they were formed, to higher permeabilityreservoir rocks, from which they can now be extracted.

Production of petroleum hydrocarbons is often troubled by the presenceof clays and other fines capable of migrating within the formation.Normally, these fines, including the clays, cause no obstruction of flowto a wellbore via the capillary system of the formation. When the finesare disturbed however, they may begin to migrate within the productionstream and, too frequently, encounter constrictions in the capillary,where they bridge off the capillary and severely diminish the flow rateof hydrocarbons to the wellbore.

Further, the introduction of water foreign to the formation, such asintroduced through drilling or production processes, has been shown tofrequently disturb the fines in these clay-containing formations. Theforeign water is often fresh or relatively fresh water compared tobrine, which is native to the formation. The change in the nature of thewater present may cause the fines to disperse or come loose fromadhesion to capillary walls, usually resulting in the migration of thefines through the formation, where plugging can occur in smaller porethroats.

Sometimes the loss of permeability observed is due to clay swelling withthe relatively fresh water, without migration. Most often however, clayswelling is accompanied by migration of fines. Non-swelling clays mayalso respond to the foreign water and begin to migrate. It is believedhowever that swelling clays are the major mechanism of formation damagedue to loss of mobility of hydrocarbon fluids in the formation.

Clay hydration occurs by three mechanisms: surface hydration throughbonding of water molecules to oxygen atoms on the surface of the clayplatelets; ionic hydration through hydration of interlayer cations withsurrounding shells of water molecules; and osmotic hydration whichoccurs in some clays after they are completely surface and ionicallyhydrated, usually at 100% humidity.

All clays experience hydration. Illite and smectite clays exhibitvarying degrees of ionic hydration. Shale hydration, typically caused bysurface adsorption hydration and osmotic absorption hydration, resultsin two distinctly different problems, one being swelling, which isexpansion of the clays due to water uptake and the other beingdispersion, which is the disintegration of the shale body due to watercontact

As shale includes non-clay minerals, such as quartz and feldspar, and istypically a heterogenous mixture of clays, a combination of hydrationmechanisms may occur in the same piece of rock. For example, thenon-clay minerals will not react, the chlorite, kaolinite, and illiteclays will hydrate and create solids problems and the smectite clayswill hydrate, swell, and react with ionic solutions.

Swelling clays, such as smectites and vermiculites, are layered mineralsthat are widespread in soils and sedimentary rocks. As previouslydescribed, they are made up of negatively charged mica-like sheets whichare held together by charge-balancing, interlayer cations such ascalcium, magnesium, or sodium. The cations have a strong affinity forpolar solvents. For this reason the interlayer regions of smectites andvermiculites tend to expand readily in the presence of water and aqueoussolutions. A great deal is known about clay hydration under ambientconditions. In contrast, however, there is little understanding of clayswelling and clay-water interactions under the conditions encountered insedimentary basins and oilfields.

Drilling shales are susceptible to a variety of problems ranging fromwashout to complete hole collapse. Shales make up over 75% of thedrilled formations and over 70-90% of the borehole problems are relatedto shale instability. In the past, oil-based muds (OBM) have been thepreferred choice for drilling these argillaceous or clayey formations.The application of OBM has previously been justified on the basis ofborehole stability, penetration rate, fluid loss, filter cake quality,lubricity, and temperature stability. More recently, mainly in the lastdecade, environmental regulations have restricted the use of diesel andmineral oil-based muds, synthetic and ester-based biodegradable invertemulsion drilling fluids

Water-based muds (WBM) have therefore become attractive alternatives toemulsion systems, both from the cost and the environmental perspectives.Disadvantageously, however, clay-rich rocks, such as shales, tend toexpand when in contact with water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs). Theexpansion of the clay-containing portions of the formation causeinstability and collapse of the well-bore which typically costs the oilindustry about $2 billion per annum. Current and conventional solutionsto the problem include the use of environmentally unfriendly oil-baseddrilling fluids.

Further, many fluids which are introduced to the formation, such asacidizing fluids, fracturing fluids and the like are water-based or havea significant water content and thus add to the problems of clayswelling.

Historically, the oilfield industry has tried various methods for thecontrol of clay swelling and migration in an effort to reduce theoccurrence of formation damage caused by the introduction of foreignaqueous fluids into sensitive formations. It is generally thought thatonce damage as a result of swelling has occurred it is unlikely that anysignificant reversal of the damage is possible.

One concept that has been used is to convert the clay from a swellingform which contains sodium to a form comprising other cations which doesnot swell as much. For example, cations that form relativelynon-swelling clays are potassium, calcium, ammonium and hydrogen ions.When a solution of these cations, mixed or individually, flows past aclay mineral, the cations readily replace the sodium ion present in theclay and the clay is transformed to a relatively non-swelling form. Onesuch system is taught in Canadian patent 1,227,744 to Hopkins et al.(Mobil Corporation), wherein it was concluded that the use of acid,potassium, calcium, or ammonium ions to exchange sodium ion wassuccessful in preventing damage to formations susceptible to plugging ordisintegrating due to clays in their compositions.

Applicant believes however that the method taught by Hopkins et al andother methods of this type using simple cation exchange have been foundto be only a temporary solution to the problem. Native produced brineinherent in the formation quickly re-introduces sodium ions to the clayand the cations which have been used to displace sodium are just asreadily exchanged by sodium in the native brine. Thus, the formationbecomes susceptible to swelling and migration once again.

Petroleum-bearing, shale/clay mineral zones are usually found at variousdepths in subterranean formations and each zone has a unique porosityand permeability in its native state. Thus, each zone can be expected tobehave differently when exposed to non-native aqueous fluids. Prior artsolutions to prevent each of these various clay types from swelling aredifferent, the ability of the various inhibitors or stabilizing agentsto migrate into the clay platelets being heavily influenced by theindividual molecules molecular weight. Most conventional claystabilizing agents work on the principle of substitution of sodium inthe clay lattice with another cationic species. The cationic species isgenerally selected such that its radius of hydration is less than thatof the sodium ion; resulting in reduced swelling when the clay comes incontact with a foreign fluid. As previously stated, however this type ofclay stabilization is typically temporary because the small cations(either Potassium, Ammonium or Tetramethyl Ammonium Chloride (TMAC)),which have been used to replace the sodium cation, are themselvesquickly replaced, once flow from the well is re-established.

Others in the prior art have taught methods and systems which aredesigned to overcome the problems of the impermanence of the solutionusing simple cation exchange. Some of the prior art proposed solutionsinclude;

Canadian patent 1,097,904 to Anderson et al. which teaches the use offlax seed gum and up to 10,000 ppm of potassium or ammonium cations;

Canadian patent 2,492,797 to Stamatakis et al. which teaches the use ofan acid salt of alkaline esters;

Canadian patent 1,092,575 to Rice et al. which teaches the use ofaliphatic hydroxyacids with between 2-6 carbon atoms;

Canadian patent 2,106,778 to Thomas et al. which teaches the use ofcationic allyl ammonium halide salts;

Canadian patent 1,103,008 to McLaughlin et al. which teaches the use ofpoly allyl ammonium halide salts;

Canadian patent 2,300,110 Craster et al. which teaches the use ofpolyols containing at least 1 nitrogen atom preferably from a diamine;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,971 to Horton et al. which teaches the use ofprimary diamine salt with a chain length of 8 or less;

U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,814 to Patel et al. which teaches the use ofquaternized trihydroxyalkylamines or choline derivatives; and

U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,530 to Aften et al. which teaches the use ofquaternary amine-based cationic polyelectrolyte and salt(s). The cationof the salt(s) may be a divalent salt cation, a choline cation, orcertain N-substituted quaternary ammonium salt cations.

The use of quaternized polymers have one main advantage over the use ofeither potassium chloride or amine quaternary monomers in that they areable to provide substantially permanent clay stabilization. Thestructure of the polymers is such that there are several cationic sitesavailable which are adsorbed simultaneously. Typically, these polymerscontain anywhere from 400 to 7500 cationic sites. In order for thepolymer to desorb from the clay, all of these cationic sites mustsimultaneously be displaced. The probability of these occurring isnegligible, hence the substantially permanent nature of the treatment.

Prior art clay stabilizing systems are typically directed towardsspecific clay types. Applicant believes however that due to theheterogenous nature of many hydrocarbon bearing shale/clay formations,the specifically directed clay stabilizing systems are limited in theirability to effectively exchange with sodium ions in clay platelets otherthan in the formation for which they were designed and do not functionin all clay types. Further, prior art products that have limitedmobility when exposed to heterogeneous clay-type minerals inhibit theirability to effectively transport to the sites where they are needed.Some of the molecules described in the prior art will become adsorbed onthe formation rock and therefore will not be available further back inthe formation, such as during fracturing, limiting the resultant inflowbecause clay minerals encountered by the treatment fluid further fromthe well bore will be destabilized as the fluid will have lost most ofthe inhibitor molecules.

Many of the systems described in the prior art are pH sensitive andbecause they are typically single components, as the pH changes withdilution in the conate water and the like, the pH shifts to a pH atwhich the component can no longer work efficiently, if at all.

Clearly what is required is a clay stabilizer which is effective in allor substantially all of the clay constituents in a heterogeneousclay/shale formation. Preferably, the stabilizer is a single fluidadditive which can be used alone or in combination with other wellborefluids and which remains effective over a broad pH range.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A clay stabilizer utilizes a combination of two or more amine saltscapable of cation exchange having different molecular weights, molecularconfigurations and ionic strengths relative to one another so as toprovide substantially universal protection against clay swellingregardless the types of clays present in a formation. Further, the claystabilizer is capable of restoring permeability in formations which havebeen previously damaged such as through the introduction of untreated orpoorly treated water or aqueous-based fluids. The clay stabilizer can beused without the need to determine the clay types in the formation andembodiments of the clay stabilizer may be used in drilling fluids,fracturing fluids, acidizing fluids and other such wellbore fluids.Further, the clay stabilizer can be used alone to treat previouslydamaged wellbores to restore permeability therein.

In a broad aspect of the invention, the clay stabilizer compriseseffective amounts of two or more amine salts capable of cation exchangewithin the one or more clay types within the formation, each of the twoor more amine salt having a different molecular weight and configurationrelative to each of the other of the two or more amine salts so as topermit transport into different size pore spaces within the formation;and the balance being water.

In an embodiment of the invention, the formulation comprises aneffective amount of one or more low molecular weight amine salts in therange of C₁ to about C₁₈, particularly a protonated alkylamine oralkylpolyamine such as hexamethylenediamine and a cationic amine such ascholine bicarbonate which are transportable into the micropore andmesopore spaces in the formation, and an effective amount of a longchain poly quaternary amine having a molecular weight less than about5000 atomic mass units and a high to very high cationic charge densitytransportable into the macropore spaces in the formation. The long chainpoly quaternary amine has a large number of cationic sites and istherefore capable of substantially permanent cation exchange with thecaly in the formation.

Embodiments of the invention provide advantages over the prior art. Themethod of inhibition involves the use of an optimal blend of shale/claystabilizing agents of various types or configurations, ionic charges andmolecular weights to meet the needs of the vast majority ofheterogeneous formations. The formulation stabilizes most types of clayminerals since it contains stabilization molecules that can exchangewith sodium ions in clay platelets of various thicknesses that can beencountered at various depths. The formulation contains components thatcan provide stabilization for drilling fluids, fracturing fluids and thelike where such fluids are required to provide protection for fluidsthat have migrated or been pushed further into the formation rock. Theformulation contains components that have various abilities to migrateinto clay mineral formations of varying porosities and permeabilities toprovide effective stabilization. The formulation contains componentsthat will provide a combination of temporary and permanent stabilizationof shale/clay minerals, thus increasing the likelihood of higherproduction returns after the job is complete; and provides effectivestabilization to most shale/clay minerals that can be encountered at lowdosage rates without having to conduct complex analysis to pick the beststabilization product by matching the characteristics of the minerals(i.e. platelet spacing, degree of hydration etc) with thecharacteristics of typical single component stabilization products (i.e.molecular size, ionic charge, stabilization mechanism).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of a unique clay stabilizer comprise a mixture ofconstituents applicable for use in heterogeneous shale/clay formationsto minimize swelling and migration of fines within in the formation.

More particularly, the clay stabilizer is an aqueous-based compositionwhich can be used as an additive in other wellbore fluids or can be usedalone as a treatment for the wellbore, typically in a soaking operation.The clay stabilizer comprises effective amounts of two or more aminesalts which are capable of cation exchange within one or more clay typesthat exist in heterogeneous formations. Each of the amine salts areselected to have a different molecular weight molecular configurationand ionic strength relative to each of the other of the two or moreamine salts so as to permit transport into different size pore spaceswithin the formation for effecting the cation exchange therein.

Embodiments of the clay stabilizer are particularly useful because thetypes of clays which exist in a heterogeneous formation are typicallynot known and in many cases, treatment of a wellbore to improveproduction is done without any knowledge of the specific clays present.Due to the different molecular sizes present in the formulation and theability of each to exchange cations, embodiments of the clay stabilizerprovide a substantially universal clay stabilizer for use in a widevariety of homogeneous and heterogeneous clay/shale formations.

In one embodiment of the invention, the clay stabilizer comprises one ormore low molecular weight amine salts in a range from C₁ to about C₁₈which are capable of transport and cation exchange within small(micropore) and intermediate (mesopore) pore spaces in the formation.The low molecular weight amine salts may comprise at least one smallmolecular weight amine salt having from 1 to 2 carbon atoms. Further,the clay stabilizer typically has at least one low molecular weightamine having a molecular size being up to about one order of magnitudegreater than that of the 1-2 carbon amine salt. Typically embodimentswhich incorporate two or more small molecular weight amine salts can beused in any aqueous wellbore fluid, including drilling mud.

In one embodiment, the formulation may comprise a low molecular weightcationic amine, typically having a small number of carbon atoms,preferably C₁ or C₂, but which can include any of the following andmixtures thereof and which readily migrate into at least small(micropore) to intermediate (mesopore) pore spaces: choline bicarbonateor choline chloride, potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, variousmetal halides, aliphatic hydroxyl acids, low molecular weight alkylammonium chlorides and tetramethyl ammonium chloride (TMAC) and thelike. Preferably, choline bicarbonate or choline chloride are used.

Further, the formulation may comprise a protonated amine, preferablyhaving from one to about seven available amine groups. More particularlythe protonated amine is an alkylamine or alkylpolyamine preferablyhexamethylenediamine (HMD) which is particularly useful as it is readilymobile in the micropore spaces due to its relatively linearconfiguration. The protonated amine is typically from about the sameorder of magnitude to one order of magnitude greater in molecular weightthan the cationic amine.

Optionally, methylamine, butylamine, N-methyl-N-(propyl orisopropyl)amine; N,N-diethyl amine; N-methyl-N-ethylamine; andN,N-dimethylamine, N,N-dimethyl-N-ethylamine and the homologous seriesof alkyldiamines ranging from ethylenediamine to octamethylenediaminemay be used. Further, alkylpolyamines ranging from triamines toheptamines may also be used.

An organic acid, preferably formic acid, is added for pH adjustment ofthe formulation and is particularly useful in providing pH adjustmentfor the protonated amine, such as HMD, which are pH sensitive. Theprotonated amines are capable of cationic exchange only when in theprotonated state. A pH of greater than 9.0 was most beneficial inensuring protonation and in preventing clay hydration, howeverformulations have been prepared in a range of from about pH 4 to aboutpH 11 by adjusting the concentration of the protonated amine in theformulation. Mineral acids may be used as well, although the pH is moredifficult to control. Other acids which may be used include, but are notlimited to, acetic acid, glycolic acid, propionic acid, malic acid,citric acid, phosphoric acid, sulphamic acid and hydrochloric acid.

Additionally, the formulation may comprise substantially any long chainpoly quaternary amine having high to very high cationic charge densityand having a molecular weight of less than about 5000 atomic mass unitsand which is easily soluble in aqueous fluids. The poly quaternary aminetypically has a molecular weight of at least 2 to 3 orders of magnitudegreater than that of the cationic amine. The long chain cationicpolymers provide migration into relatively larger or macro pore spaces.The structure of the poly quaternary amines are such that there are aplurality of cationic sites available which are adsorbed simultaneouslyto the clay surface. In order for the poly quaternary amine to desorbfrom the clay, all of the cationic sites must simultaneously bedisplaced. The probability of these occurring is negligible, hencecreating a substantially permanent cation exchange at the clay surface.

The cationic polymers could include, but are not limited to,polydimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride or more generally any cationicpoly quaternary amine formed by the condensation of dimethylamine withepichlorohydrin or any cationic poly quaternary amines that contain alarge number (>200) of quaternerized nitrogen atoms. In one embodiment,the long chain polymer is a poly quaternary amine such as Callaway4015™, obtained from Vulcan Performance Chemicals.

Typically clay stabilizers according to embodiments of the invention tobe used in drilling fluids will not contain the poly quaternary aminesas drilling mud often contains highly anionic species which are notcompatible therewith. Instead a protonated polyamine, such astetraethylene pentamine which has multiple cationic sites, a relativelylarge structure and limited mobility, is used to achieve relatively thesame function as the poly quaternary amine, but which is compatible withthe highly anionic species present in most drilling fluids.

Embodiments of the clay stabilizer which include the poly quaternaryamines are particularly useful in treating existing wellbores such aswith fracturing fluids, acidizing fluids or in a soaking of theformation about the wellbore. Contrary to the general knowledge in theindustry, Applicant has noted that when embodiments of the claystabilizer formulation which comprise the long chain poly quaternaryamine are used to treat a wellbore which has already suffered damage asa result of clay swelling, significant improvement in production isachieved. Applicant believes that the significant and substantiallypermanent restoration of permeability is due to modification of clayswelling which is responsible for the improvement in performance

EXAMPLES

In one embodiment, the formulation comprises: Water 43.0-51.0%   Ethylene glycol* 0-8.0%  Formic acid, 85% 10.0% Hexamethylenediamine,90% 19.0% Choline bicarbonate(low molecular weight cationic 10.0%species) Cationic polyquaternaryamine 10.0%All percentages are percent by weight.*ethylene glycol may be added for winterization.

Example 1

Use of an embodiment of the invention as described above was compared tosimple cation exchange using KCl as a method for preventing swelling ofclay or shale or reversing damage as a result of using untreated waterin a formation. A Capillary Suction Timer test was performed by mixingformation materials with water, both untreated and treated with eitheran embodiment of the invention or with KCl. The longer the drainage timethat was observed, the more swelling and fines migration or formationdamage that has occurred. The results of the following tests are foundin Table 1.

Test A

Synthetic clay was treated with a 3% solution of KCl and with anembodiment of the invention at a rate of 4 L/m³ to illustrate the effectof both on prevention of swelling in the formation.

Test B

The same test was performed as in Test A however the synthetic clay hadalready been exposed to untreated water to show restoration in drainageusing both KCl and an embodiment of the invention.

Test C

Following Test B fresh water was washed through the synthetic clay whichhad been treated with either KCl or an embodiment of the invention toillustrate the permanence of the restoration of permeability and thepotential protective effect of treating a formation with an embodimentof the invention. TABLE I Treated with Untreated Treated withformulation Clay(sec) KCl (3%) (sec) 4 L/m³ (sec) Test A Drainage rates64 13.9 11.2 Test B Drainage rates 64 27 11.5 Test C Drainage rates 6438 13.1

It is clear that the formulation according to an embodiment of theinvention was more successful in preventing swelling than KCl. Further,the formulation was capable of reversing damage caused by earlierexposure to untreated water to a greater degree than KCl and thereversing of the damage was substantially permanent compared to KCl,which “washes out” of the formation when presented with additional freshwater.

Example 2

An embodiment of the invention was compared to simple cation exchangeusing KCl as a method for preventing swelling of clay or shale orreversing damage as a result of using untreated water in a formation. ACapillary Shale Stabilizer Test was performed by mixing formationmaterials with water, both untreated and treated with either anembodiment of the invention or with KCl. The longer the drainage timeobserved, the more swelling and fines migration or formation damage thathas occurred. TABLE 2 Formulation Drainage Treatment times Sample (L/m³)(sec) Formation material with deionized water 0 83.9 only (untreated)Formation material with formulation 4 10.5 Formation material withformulation 8 9.0 Formation material treated with water 8 9.7 (damaged)and then treated with formulation Anionic foamer 1 added to formulation8 19.9 at 15 L/m³ Anionic foamer 2 added to formulation 8 20.4 at 15L/m³ Anionic foamer 1 added to formulation 4 25.0 at 15 L/m³ Anionicfoamer 1 added to formulation 4 18.1 at 5 L/m³ Cationic foamer 3 addedto formulation 4 10.9 at 5 L/m³

Treatment of formation materials using water alone illustrates a largedrainage time consistant with swelling and fines migration seen withformation damage. Treatment using an embodiment of the invention aloneillustrates significant reduction in the drainage times and therefore asignificant reduction in clay swelling both at a high and a lowtreatment rate. Formation materials which were already exposed to waterand which had significant swelling were exposed to the formulationalone. A significant decrease in drainage times was observed indicatinga restoration of permeability, likely due to a reversal of swelling.

A variety of foamers were added to the formulation prior to treatment ofthe formation materials. The addition of anionic foamers generallyreduces the permeability, however the addition of a cationic foamer doesnot affect the restoration of permeability.

Example 3

Silica flour and bentonite were finely ground to less than 100 microns.A slurry was prepared using 5 g ground silica flour, 1.0 g bentonite and50 mL fluid, the fluid being those listed in Table 3. A capillary shalestabilizer test was performed to determine drainage rates as discussedin the previous examples. TABLE 3 Drain Time Treatment (sec) Untreatedwater 64 Formulation 4 L/m³ 11.2 15% HCl 17 15% HCl and formulation at 4L/m³ 15.9 Treated with formulation at 4 L/m³, then mixed with 15% 31.2HCl and then washed with water Acid washed material treated withformulation at 4 L/m³ 10.9

It was evident that treatment with acid could displace the claystabilizer from the clay. Applicant believes that it may be the largeexcess of hydronium ion which overwhelms the equilibrium. Thus, it isthought that the large volumes of acid used in an acid stimulation mightreverse the effects of the clay stabilizer however treatment with claystabilizer following treatment with acid is capable of restoringpermeability, likely by reversing swelling.

1. A clay stabilizer for use in a formation having one or more claytypes comprising: effective amounts of two or more amine salts capableof cation exchange within the one or more clay types within theformation, each of the two or more amine salt having a differentmolecular weight and configuration relative to each of the other of thetwo or more amine salts so as to permit transport into different sizepore spaces within the formation; and the balance being water.
 2. Theclay stabilizer of claim 1 wherein the two or more amine salts furthercomprise: an effective amount of one or more low molecular weight aminesalts in the range of C₁ to about C₁₈.
 3. The clay stabilizer of claim 1wherein the two or more amine salts further comprise: an effectiveamount of a long chain poly quaternary amine having a molecular weightless than about 5000 atomic mass units and a high to very high cationiccharge density.
 4. The clay stabilizer of claim 1 wherein the two ormore amine salts further comprise: an effective amount of one or morelow molecular weight amine salts in the range of C₁ to about C₁₈; and aneffective amount of a long chain poly quaternary amine having amolecular weight less than about 5000 atomic mass units and a high tovery high cationic charge density.
 5. The clay stabilizer of claim 4further comprising: an effective amount of a low molecular weightcationic amine or mixtures thereof so as to provide migration and cationexchange in small pore spaces in the formation; an effective amount of alow molecular weight protonated amine so as to provide migration andcation exchange within intermediate pore spaces in the formation; and aneffective amount of a long chain poly quaternary amine having amolecular weight less than about 5000 atomic mass units and a high tovery high cationic charge density.
 6. The clay stabilizer of claim 5wherein: the effective amount of the low molecular weight protonatedamine has a molecular weight the same or one order of magnitude greaterthan the cationic amine; and the effective amount of the long chain polyquaternary amine has a molecular weight 1 to 3 orders of magnitudegreater than the cationic amine.
 7. The clay stabilizer of claim 5further comprising an effective amount of an acid for controlling the pHso as to maintain the protonated amine in the protonated state.
 8. Theclay stabilizer of claim 7 wherein the acid is an organic acid.
 9. Theclay stabilizer of claim 5 wherein the protonated amine is analkylamine.
 10. The clay stabilizer of claim 5 wherein the protonatedamine is an alkylpolyamine.
 11. The clay stabilizer of claim 5 whereinthe protonated amine is hexamethylenediamine.
 12. The clay stabilizer ofclaim 5 wherein the low molecular weight cationic amine is a saturatedquaternary amine.
 13. The clay stabilizer of claim 12 wherein thesaturated quaternary amine is choline bicarbonate.
 14. The claystabilizer of claim 3 wherein the long chain poly quaternary amine ispolydimethyldiallylammonium chloride.
 15. The clay stabilizer of claim 4wherein the long chain poly quaternary amine ispolydimethyldiallylammonium chloride.
 16. The clay stabilizer of claim 5wherein the long chain poly quaternary amine ispolydimethyldiallylammonium chloride.
 17. A method for treating aformation having one or more clay types comprising: providing a claystabilizer comprising a combination of effective amounts of two or moreamine salts capable of cation exchange with the one or more clay typeswithin the formation, each of the two or more amine salts having adifferent molecular weight and configuration relative to each of theother of the two or more amine salts so as to permit transport intodifferent sized pore spaces within the formation for substantiallyreducing the effects of clay swelling therein; and the balance beingwater; and exposing the formation to the clay stabilizer.
 18. The methodof claim 17 wherein the two or more amine salts further comprise: aneffective amount of one or more low molecular weight amine salts in therange of C₁ to about C₁₈.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein the two ormore amine salts further comprise: an effective amount of a long chainpoly quaternary amine having a molecular weight less than about 5000atomic mass units and a high to very high cationic charge density. 20.The method of claim 17 wherein the two or more amine salts furthercomprise: an effective amount of one or more low molecular weight aminesalts in the range of C₁ to about C₁₈; and an effective amount of a longchain poly quaternary amine having a molecular weight less than about5000 atomic mass units and a high to very high cationic charge density.21. The method of claim 17 further comprising: an effective amount of alow molecular weight cationic amine or mixtures thereof so as to providemigration and cation exchange in small pore spaces in the formation; aneffective amount of a low molecular weight protonated amine so as toprovide migration and cation exchange within intermediate pore spaces inthe formation; and an effective amount of a long chain polyamine havinga high cationic charge density so as to provide migration and cationexchange within the large pore spaces in the formation.
 22. The methodof claim 21 wherein: the effective amount of the low molecular weightprotonated amine has a molecular weight at least one order of magnitudegreater than the cationic amine; and the effective amount of the longchain polyamine has a molecular weight at least 1 to 3 orders ofmagnitude greater than the cationic amine.
 23. The method of claim 17further comprising: adding the clay stabilizer to aqueous fluids priorto the introduction of said aqueous fluids into the formation forsubstantially preventing swelling of the clays therein.
 24. The methodof claim 17 further comprising: introducing the clay stabilizer to theformation prior to the introduction of aqueous fluids into the formationfor substantially preventing swelling of the clays therein.
 25. Themethod of claim 19 further comprising: introducing the clay stabilizerto the formation following the introduction of aqueous fluids into theformation for substantially reversing swelling of the clays therein. 26.The method of claim 20 further comprising: introducing the claystabilizer to the formation following the introduction of aqueous fluidsinto the formation for substantially reversing swelling of the claystherein.
 27. The method of claim 21 further comprising: introducing theclay stabilizer to the formation following the introduction of aqueousfluids into the formation for substantially reversing swelling of theclays therein.
 28. The method of claim 22 further comprising:introducing the clay stabilizer to the formation following theintroduction of aqueous fluids into the formation for substantiallyreversing swelling of the clays therein.
 29. The method of claim 22wherein the clay stabilizer further comprising an effective amount of anacid for controlling the pH so as to maintain the protonated amine inthe protonated state.
 30. The clay stabilizer of claim 29 wherein theacid is an organic acid.
 31. The clay stabilizer of claim 22 wherein theprotonated amine is an alkylamine.
 32. The clay stabilizer of claim 22wherein the protonated amine is an alkylpolyamine.
 33. The claystabilizer of claim 22 wherein the protonated amine ishexamethylenediamine.
 34. The clay stabilizer of claim 22 wherein thelow molecular weight cationic amine is a saturated quaternary amine. 35.The clay stabilizer of claim 34 wherein the saturated quaternary amineis choline bicarbonate.
 36. The clay stabilizer of claim 19 wherein thelong chain poly quaternary amine is polydimethyldiallylammoniumchloride.
 37. The clay stabilizer of claim 20 wherein the long chainpoly quaternary amine is polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride.
 38. Theclay stabilizer of claim 21 wherein the long chain poly quaternary amineis polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride.
 39. The clay stabilizer ofclaim 22 wherein the long chain poly quaternary amine ispolydimethyldiallylammonium chloride.